Reward being offered in senseless murder of convenience store clerk

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - This surveillance video shows the two men apparently wearing t-shirts on their faces running into the convenience store in the 46 hundred block of north Main.

“The entire incident took under a minute,” said HPD homicide investigator Alexander Vinogradov. “They’ve either been to the store before or they canvassed the area cause they also knew about the second cash register.”

While one of the masked men robbed customers in the store of their belongings, the other jumped the counter and went back into the office where he shot and killed employee,Tim Abuharbed.

“He called out in pain so loudly that the patrons in the store could hear him back there in the office in pain,” said HPD homicide investigator David Williamson.

Police say Tim didn’t struggle or try to stop the robbery. They say he was killed in cold blood for no reason.

“He was seated at a desk minding his own business literally when this guy climbed over a counter and went through another door back to the office where he was and shot him while he was doing his work,” Williamson said.

Regular customers were shocked to hear about Tim’s death.

“They couldn’t believe it,” Williamson said. “They know that he’s such a nice guy, it’s hard to imagine that such a good person could be gunned down this way.”

Both men are described as young African American with slim builds. The shooter was wearing white Polo sneakers.

“We’ve got to get these guys off the street as fast as possible,” said Williamson.

Police believe the two men may have bragged about the killing.

Anyone with information about their identities can make a quick five grand. Just call crime stoppers at (713) 222-T-I-P-S.